A Cursed Encounter
by PaleAutumn
Summary: The God of War has Fallen from the grace of the Heavens. Too barbaric & unyielding to be allowed to continue on as a Divine, War has been banished to the mortals' land until the time where he is able to gain a knowledge of humanity. Morality, mercy, restrain, love -only by learning these things can he ever hope to return and reclaim his place amongst the divine once more. ShiroIchi
1. Chapter 1

Vengeful, hateful eyes stared at the group assembled before him. A group of eleven. His eyes scoured over the occupants of Olympus. Zeus, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Athene … At all of them, he glared. Especially at Athene. The yellow eyes of Ares darted back up at Zeus, the king, the ruler, whatever people wanted to call him.

"By the agreement of all the Olympians, we have decided to banish you from Olympus. You will be cursed to live amongst the mortals until we call for you again." The god's voice echoed with authority. If it wasn't for the goddess of wisdom, he'd gladly attempt to cut him down - and win. There was a bitter taste his mouth. How dare they? How dare they cut him off from Olympus? His only response was to narrow his eyes at the council. His time amongst the other deathless didn't create any good memories, but betrayal still settled in his heart. They always liked to poke fun at him for his own skewed morals, however, the other gods seemed unable to recognize their own faults.

As soon as that order rang out, a path opened for him to go down. The other gods nodded their approval. "You'll end up regretting this one day. Don't think I'll give up that easily. War is an important aspect of civilization, I won't just disappear," Ares mumbled, loud enough for the others to hear. With Athene by their side, they wouldn't take the threat seriously. He knew that. The god of war took a deep breath as he descended down to Earth, deciding to take up a new name. A name fitting for his appearance.

He quite liked the praise he received from Japan as the protector …His name there was different and he could easily use that as his name, but he decided against it, considering the clash in culture. It was difficult to take up in Greece. Albus was fitting, but it was too … normal. If he was going to live down at Earth, then he wanted a unique name. He'll always be a god after all.

Shiro.

It sounded nice. He'll get the Olympian gods back one day. Once he made his return to Mount Olympus.

* * *

Ichigo watched as his battalion entered the kapeleia they luckily found on their way back to their city. He had a smile on his face as he told them to have fun in there. The Thespian army had their first victory after a long series of defeats from several other city-states. In fact, Thespiae was still rebuilding their walls after the recent attack from Thebes. Ichigo would let them have this moment to lift their low spirits.

After awhile, he entered the kapeleia himself. The soldiers were already scattered about with drinking cups in front of them, retelling their victories. Definitely nicer than the constant anxiety about when the next attack will come and destroy Thespiae again.

Ichigo sat at a booth farther in the back of the establishment where it was more secluded and ordered a single cup for now, relief and joy spreading through him as much as the others. Ichigo wanted to remain sober until his battalion reached the city and met up with the rest of the army, though, too. As long as the others could walk a little longer to a place they could set up camp. It was about a days march back to their home … The soreness that plagued their muscles we're slowing them down, but he hoped that it wouldn't be that severe.

He was too lost in thought to pay attention to his surroundings. Until someone took a seat across from him.

Ichigo was expecting one of his men to be there to ask him a question, so when he brought his head up to look at his companion, he certainly didn't expect a man with white skin to be there. Or to have yellow on black eyes staring back at him with interest. Ichigo stared at him for a few seconds before asking the obvious question.

"Is there … something I can do for you?" he asked, quite tentatively too. There aren't many occasions where he's met with a stranger sitting with him while he's in a taverna or kapeleia. Ichigo watched as the stranger tilted his head back a bit and observed the area a little more as if he was thinking about how to answer. Did he just sit here out of impulse?

The battalion leader was about to tell him to excuse him, but the other cut him off.

"What's the occasion?" he spoke, his attention back on the soldier.

"What …?" Ichigo didn't understand at first. But then it clicked that his men probably were still in uniform. "Oh, you mean the soldiers. We recently won a battle after … a few losses here and there, so we're celebrating the win." Ichigo was unsure what to tell the man and what not to tell the man. He could be a citizen of an enemy city-state or a messenger or a spy or …

"So that's what all the stories are for. I came here for some entertainment since I saw so many people here, so how about some stories from you?"

"You could at least tell me your name." Ichigo responded, still a bit wary despite the other's innocent sounding, or at least as innocent as wanting a war story was, objectives. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." Might as well take his own words to heart. He scowled when the other didn't give his name right away.

"It's … Call me Shiro."

"Shiro? That's a strange name. No last name?" Ichigo commented, wondering where the name came from. Shiro was certainly not a stereotypical Greek name. Ichigo wasn't a common name either, so could he talk?

"Same origin as your name I assume. And no. You'll earn it another day." Shiro grinned, watching as Ichigo perked up slightly. Huffing, he half glared at Shiro, who looked smug. Bastard … He was curious about his full name, but he doubted he could pull it out of him now. Well, now that their names were out of the way, they can hopefully have a normal conversation.

The orange-haired soldier realized the other still didn't order a drink. "Are you … thirsty? The people here were nice enough to make drinks on the house to congratulate us."

"Not a big fan. I only drink at special ceremonies and occasions. It's only good for clouding the senses."

Ichigo hummed in agreement at the statement. "That makes two of us." If he drank too much, his skills in battle would surely decrease and he couldn't risk not being able to fight when enemies could attack at any moment.

"Oh? Is that so?" Shiro teased, looking over at the other occupants of the kapeleia. "Your battalion seems to disagree." At that, Ichigo smirked. The habits of his battalion could be better, but he still loved them.

"Ah, well you managed to decrease the size of my list of things I dislike about you."

"You already have a list? Please, feel free to divulge the information on said list. I'll even exchange a few of the things on my list." Ichigo grinned, finishing up his drink.

"Maybe one day. If you care enough when I decide to, that is." Shiro chuckled. To Ichigo, it seemed forced. But he couldn't really think of any reason why that would be.

"I'll hold you to it, Shiro."

They both were having fun, throwing banter back and forth like childhood friends. Later in the day, Shiro asked if Ichigo was okay with talking outside, away from here. The god could tell that the question confused him, but Ichigo accepted the offer after a moment to think. "Let me leave a tip for the owners and I'll catch up, alright?"

Shiro nodded and got up from the seat and was about to walk off before a rather devious idea popped up in his head. Turning back around to face Ichigo, he took a hold of his hand and brought the back of it to his lips. "Thank you for your company." Shiro said with Ichigo's hand still up to his face and a smile. He let his hand go.

"It's a form of tradition, isn't it?"

Those were his last words before he left the building. It took awhile for Ichigo to process what happened, however, when he did, his entire face went red. Ichigo's face was red-hot and he couldn't even tell whether it was mostly embarrassment or anger that caused it. Tradition, his ass! That kind of gesture wasn't meant for men! Despite the reaction, he got up and personally thanked and gave money to the owners of the kapeleia. He told them to make sure his men would be able to walk after this. As he left the building, he was met with suggestive whistles from his men who thought he may have been leaving with a woman. Ichigo decided to ignore them. His curiosity about the other got the better of him this time around.

When he arrived outside, Shiro had his gaze toward the sky. Admiring the sight maybe? But Shiro was frowning. Ichigo stared in silence at him before he announced his presence by drawing closer. Shiro … he was a man shrouded in mystery. His looks, his words, his entire existence. He's never been as intrigued about a person as he was now.

"I know I'm handsome, but ya don't have to stare." Shiro cut in, destroying Ichigo's thought process. Ichigo scoffed. He didn't give a response. It'd probably get him deeper in the hole. Shiro laughed at his lack of response. He won't push it. "When do you have to return to Thespiae?"

"Ah, I was hoping to return by -" Ichigo paused. "How did you …?"

Shiro looked at him confused before realizing what he said. He opened and closed his mouth, attempting to correct his mistake. If Ichigo was suspicious before, he was certainly suspicious now. There was no way someone could ever pinpoint where he came from from the things he's told Shiro. Nothing a stranger should know. "An army who recently won a battle after a rather large set of losses. Besides, the men with you don't seem to be as young as you … Not enough citizens perhaps? Thespiae has been quite unlucky in their battles. Burned and destroyed too after onslaughts of attacks."

"You seem to be well versed in these sorts of matters."

"Would you believe me if I said I'm just a simple historian?"

"Absolutely not."

The god laughed, full-heartedly enjoying Ichigo's attitude and anger at the lack of decent answers. Of course, laughing only heightened the irritation.

"You could at least show some sympathy for my home. Or even toward the men in there who fought for their lives despite all of the hardships." Ichigo mumbled, turning away from Shiro. He didn't live through the burning of the city, but he was old enough to be in the army during major battles against the Athenians and the Thebans. He was lucky to escape, especially since he had just joined the army. He watched most of the men — regardless of age — at his side fall to their deaths in the Battle of Delium. Almost all of them were slain and he managed to run with his life intact.

His skin prickled and burned. Was Shiro staring at him?

"Sympathy …?" The god said, musing over his next words. "I can admit the people who lost their lives should be commemorated and those who lived should be proud to stay alive. But events like those happen. A necessary evil."

Ichigo turned back to him with a fire in his eyes. A look that said he had more to say, that there was more than what Shiro said. With narrowed eyes, gritted teeth, and clenched fists, Ichigo wanted to shout. How dare he!? Shutting his eyes against the flashbacks of armies entering his city and tearing it apart, he trembled slightly. Was this what he called a necessary evil? Before he could spew out the hate-filled words, Shiro cut him off.

"You're a soldier. You're part of an army in a civilization that uses war as a means to show strength and to gain resources. Is that not why you, most likely, have a collection of items from your victories? Is that not how you show off to the other city-states?" Shiro didn't understand it. Time and time again he's had thousands of armies rush to his temple to receive blessings. Time and time again he's been celebrated as a protector. And in this civilization, there was just as much war as there was peace. Unlike Zeus, he didn't tend to mingle with mortals whenever he got bored.

For a second, Ichigo remained silent, contemplating whether his rage will get him anywhere. Shiro thought he finally got through to him. However, the god then realized Ichigo was smirking at him. There was still a hint of anger in him though. The only thing different was that the soldier understood how he could make Shiro see past his ideas. "Why don't you travel with my battalion to Thespiae?"

"Huh? What for?"

Ichigo grinned at Shiro, fully enjoying the surprise in Shiro's tone. "You don't seem to understand people very well, you know. Come to Thespiae and observe the people there. I'll even offer you a place to stay," he said, laughing to himself. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure if the other was going to agree. After all, was there any reason to? Ichigo had a gut feeling he wouldn't though. Not after being told he was bad at something.

"If you're gonna invite me, be more kind 'bout it."

"After belittling my home and undermining the aftermath? Not on my watch."

"Fair."

For once, Shiro held up the white flag. He agreed to travel with them, unable to come up for a reason against it. Enjoying himself would have the other gods jealous and petty anyway right?

Thespiae was Eros's land though … It meant the goddess of Love will be near too and he certainly didn't want to meet up with her. "Come on, it's about time we head back and start moving to set up another camp before they become too drunk to walk."

Ichigo told Shiro he could wait outside if he wished as he went back to announce that they were leaving to set up camp a little further ahead. The god stayed still, watching Ichigo disappear.

If he was honest with himself, Shiro couldn't imagine understanding anything more. It wouldn't stop him from starting up skirmishes and it certainly wouldn't stop him from relishing all the slaughter. Whatever. There wouldn't be any harm in indulging.


	2. Chapter 2

Thespiae came into sight. Pieces of the destroyed wall still littered the ground, but there were several slaves running about trying to clean it all up. Ichigo couldn't pick up any other variation of clothes in the mix, so he assumed it was only slaves. Though labor was mostly done by them everywhere in Greece, Ichigo still wasn't used to letting them do all the work. To temporarily rid himself of that tightness in his chest, he took a deep breath. He even distracted himself by glancing over at Shiro, who wasn't paying much mind to the slaves. Yeah, he expected as much.

His battalion didn't collect many war prisoners in their battles. Ichigo made sure of it. He preferred receiving weapons, armor, or accessories from a particularly strong warrior or the leading general. Capturing war prisoners meant putting them to work and Ichigo would much prefer working on something himself.

The group walked toward the city. People had already heard of their victory, so people were prepared to greet them. Loud horns accompanied the celebratory shouts. Ichigo waved and smiled along with the rest of the group.

"You can wait in the crowd if you wish, Shiro." Ichigo whispered. An elbow hit Shiro's side, meant to get his attention. The command registered. It wasn't right for him to receive glory and praise when he certainly wasn't part of the Thespian army. "Have fun giving a speech." He said, walking away and seeming to fade into the crowd. Stunned into silence, Ichigo looked around for him. It couldn't be possible for someone like him to disappear in a crowd that easily right? Even if he blended in with the clothing … He'd still cause a commotion. No, he should focus on the upcoming speech. He's sure Shiro will find him later.

People were coming toward the army after the initial announcement of their arrival. They each received their own share of pats on the back and several requests for handshakes and thank yous. There were permanent smiles on the battalion members', a mix of pride in the victory and pride in having made their people happier.

Shiro watched a few distances back in a different form of himself. As he threaded through the crowd, he managed to change into a black-haired Greek. Rumors would spread about him if such a rare figure stood amongst the crowd. There were some beings that he wished to remain hidden from.

There were tons of people gathering in the square, crowding around the returning battalion that Ichigo wasn't visible anymore. This was more grandeur than needed for a small victory … This type of celebration was for major battles and possibly even wars. The people's cheer, the people's praise did boost his ego a bit though. See, battle does bring forth some happiness, some hope! That's why he was so interested in the small speech Ichigo was likely to give.

Ichigo stepped forward after being coaxed into it by his people. He was fidgeting and glancing around at the audience. Shiro couldn't help but crack a grin at how uncomfortable he seemed up there. The other members in his division stood behind him as well, giving him signs of encouragement just like the rest of the citizens. With nothing else to pay attention to, Shiro focused on Ichigo up by the biggest podium there was in Thespiae.

"To my fellow Thespians … as you're well aware I'm the general of our division and I'm glad that we were able secure a victory and your safety. I hope that we'll be able to protect this city-state for the time I'm leading." Ichigo stopped and looked over at his own men hopefully. Perhaps a little desperately. Shiro guessed he didn't know what else to say. It seemed everyone else understood that too and they still cheered, despite it being a poor speech. They were drunk off the idea of victory after years of being suppressed and beaten. It was a reaction Ares could understand after being humiliated by Athene all these times. One victory was all that was needed sometimes.

As Ichigo stepped down and another man went up, Shiro made his way toward Ichigo before coming to a stop. He felt someone staring at him. A powerful gaze that was nothing short of vindictive. Without moving his head, he attempted to track down the mysterious person. He found no one. There was nothing anyone could do against an exiled war god. After all, he still had his strength and with the dash of wounded pride, it was far more dangerous.

It didn't mean it didn't bother him.

He was planning on meeting up with Ichigo after taking a path where were less mortals around anyway so he could shift back to his original form. Let's see how long the unknown being would play this game.

He went for one of the side paths between two buildings, taking as many turns as possible and picked the ones that looked the most secluded. After awhile of doing this, it seemed the gaze finally turned away from him. Shiro wondered who it could possibly be. Perhaps he shifted into a character too common that he got mistaken for someone else? Or maybe someone saw him with the army and wished to evaluate him? But he knew for a fact that he had a target on him to someone.

 _Come at me if you dare._

Looking around for any sign of life, Shiro shifted back to his normal form. For now, it'd be best to keep his head down so no one took note of his face. He stepped out onto the public streets with his eyes pointed at the ground, not daring to pick up his face lest some Thespian realized what kind of presence he made. He lost sight of Ichigo a long way back, but a lot of people were crowding around one area, so he assumed the battalion was still being occupied by the people. For as long as necessary, he waited. Shiro wasn't known to be a patient god, but gods were also marked by a curiosity. Honestly, he just wanted to know what exactly Ichigo wanted with him. Why he had invited him over to his home.

Finally, Ichigo appeared from the crowd, grinning and waving at them as he walked back to his home. The other members of his battalion went their own way as well. Ichigo passed him without really looking his way, taking him as another citizen. Maybe even a noble with the gold and red tunic he wore.

"You know, it's rude to ignore people you specifically invited to your home," Shiro said, taking his step behind Ichigo, who jumped back in surprise when he spoke. Once he took in Shiro's appearance, he visibly calmed down before muttering how much of an ass he was.

"Don't scare me like that! Why can't you just show up in front of me like a normal person? Where did you even go? It's kind of hard to miss you, you know. And trust me I looked."

Shiro didn't know how to answer that. He couldn't really just say that he transformed into another person … Instead, Shiro shrugged. "Maybe you didn't look hard enough. Perhaps you missed me amidst the crowd? It was pretty packed in the plaza."

Ichigo didn't seem persuaded by that answer. In fact, he looked even more suspicious than before. Shiro sighed and suggested they keep walking. "I'm just good at blending in. Happy now?"

"Not at all. Everytime I ask you questions, it always ends up like this," Ichigo elbowed Shiro for the second time this day, "My place is coming up. And I expect all these unanswered questions to be answered by the time you leave."

"So tell me: why did you bring me here? To Thespiae." Shiro finally asked, hoping it wouldn't be a disappointing reason.

"To prove you wrong of course. What kind of person believes that people prefer to be in wartime rather than being in peacetime? Sorry, but it's not in my nature to avert my eyes to people who appear to be ignorant." Ichigo explained, smirking all the while.

Shiro said nothing. He never planned to stay long enough to tell him everything. To tell any mortal man anything. Even if he did, they'd all be too scared to do anything more. No god ever stayed in one place long unless they gained something from it, but this was interesting. It's exactly what he thought it was: a challenge. He was a god. He was born to look down upon mortals and yet Ichigo was looking down on him. What a good way to strike a god's pride.

"And I've told you last time: We'll see."

Ichigo's house came into view. It wasn't an amazing home, but it certainly wasn't something to laugh at. He was part of a respected group in society, Shiro would know. The god was proud to say that the army was one of the better positions to be in in this civilization. Like most of the houses, the house was decorated on the exterior with simple bricks and stone. It also led into a big courtyard. Not quite as big as the kings or emperors, of course. It could easily host a few parties or gatherings though. There was even a nice skylight that some of the higher level homes have. The atrium, the main room, split off into smaller hallways that led into smaller rooms, like kitchens, baths, and the dining room.

"I have an extra room where all the sleeping chambers are. Though I guess middle class homes may have that room for wives or … other things." Ichigo trailed off, not wanting to finish that thought. "And I recommend you sleep a bit early. We need to head off somewhere in the early morning tomorrow."

Shiro gave him a questioning look. Where would they need to go? Ichigo seemed surprised at the face he gave him. "C'mon, even you have to know about traditions like these. You may not have noticed, but my battalion managed to snag some items from the losing army's leading general."

Of course he knew about that kind of thing. Most, if not all, of his offerings were either post-victory or pre-battle. All the mortals kneeled before him most during those cherished moments. There was a bit of a problem here now.

He was on the earth's ground now and he was going to enter another god's temple.

"And which temples do you plan on visiting tomorrow?"

Ichigo seemed to think about it. Every Greek feared the gods' wrath and each person had to choose what god they were going to sacrifice something for to quell the gods' greed. Hopefully not at the expense of another god. So it was crucial to be wary of who they were going to sacrifice to.

"We'll be going to Ares's temple at another trip, but tomorrow we're visiting our patrons'. Eros and Aphrodite."

And Shiro hated that thought.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a knock at the door that woke up the sleeping god. For a second, Shiro thought about telling the intruder to leave before remembering where exactly he spent the night and how he had been offered a guest room. Sighing, he sat up and attempted to make himself look presentable for Ichigo. It wouldn't do well to seem rude and ungrateful after being shown such hospitality. Normally, he wouldn't care so much about manners since no one can do anything against a god anyway.

 _But I'm no longer a god._

"You can come in," Shiro called out, looking around nothing else was wrong before Ichigo came in. He brought his attention back to Ichigo and took note of a light blush on his face. Raising an eyebrow at the expression on his face, Shiro asked whether something was bothering him.

"I wanted to apologize," Ichigo trailed off, taking a glance at Shiro, who looked like he just woke up. Which he probably did. "I realize I've been dragging you around a lot." It wasn't often he apologized for something like this. Unless it was to his sisters and parents.

"Don't worry about it. You've been kind enough to even offer me a place at your home." Shiro definitely wanted to brush this off as quickly as possible to at least get some more rest before today's events. Ichigo couldn't help huffing at the words simply because he knew he invited Shiro over out of spite more than anything. However, there was no way he was going to treat anyone like an enemy or stranger. On that note, he informed Shiro that he didn't have to accompany him to the temples today.

What he didn't expect was to hear laughter from his guest. "Sorry, I … It's just I've never met someone who apologized for such a small thing. If I didn't want to go that much, I would've told you before." Shiro was clearly amused about the ordeal with his grin and the way he couldn't stop snickering. Ichigo was exasperated … He crossed his arms and turned to walk back to the main room, but not before throwing a comment back at Shiro.

"Don't expect to see me apologizing to you any time soon, jerk."

"Looking forward to it!" Shiro called back, going back to laughing. Honestly, he was having a blast. He can't remember the last time he had a good time like this, outside of battle that is. Feeling more refreshed after that conversation, Shiro dragged himself out of the bed and fixed it up so it looked presentable again. No need to make life harder for Ichigo while he was staying here. Perhaps he should look into finding a place to stay elsewhere so he doesn't continuously deplete resources from the household. When he left the guest bedroom, he saw Ichigo waiting for him in the living room who beckoned at him to follow.

"If you're going to come with me, you better eat something. My family is out right now, so I can't set up the table right now." Ichigo led Shiro over to the kitchen, where a plate of bread was open to grab from, sitting next to a bowl of wine. Grabbing a piece and dipping it in the wine, he grinned at Ichigo before taking a bite. Not missing the look, Ichigo rolled his eyes and said, "Don't look at me like that. I don't have it in me to be inhospitable to guests," he stopped and mumbled the rest under his breath so Shiro wouldn't hear, "Besides, it's nice having company when everyone else is busy."

Shiro laughed a little at the comment, taking one more piece of bread just in case the walk would be long. He forgot it was the Greek's custom to be hospitable to all. Everything still tasted bitter though. He hated going to the Olympians' temples. Envy tended to consume him when he drew near them. All the faithful worshipers, all the gifts ... It annoyed him to no end, even if he had his own set of worshipers in many other civilizations and city-states here. They were just as bad as he was, weren't they? What made him so different, aside from the different domains they all rule over?

Hearing a clanging of jewelry and metals, Shiro snapped out of his thoughts and looked over to where Ichigo was. He was carrying two bags, equal in size, that contained the offerings for the two gods. In order to not anger them, Ichigo only gathered the prettiest and most well-made offerings from the battlefield, the losing side, and his own city-state. He hadn't angered any god yet, thankfully. He'd rather keep it that way.

"Are you ready to go?" Ichigo asked, wanting to head out as soon as possible. He wanted to get home before dark. No doubt his family wanted to congratulate him today when they got home.

"I am. Do you need me to carry one of those? I imagine they're heavy if they're offerings."

"That would be helpful. Thespiae doesn't have any horses to spare right now, so I'll take anything." Ichigo, relieved to have someone here, gave Shiro one of the bags. Before heading out, Ichigo warned him not to mess up anything in there. Shiro waved him off and promised he can handle it.

"Just in case." He's heard enough stories about the Olympians causing problems for many mortals. He didn't want to admit it, but he always thought the gods were volatile and sometimes petty, always picking favorites and smiting and ruining whoever they wanted for whatever reason. It was especially dangerous for him.

They walked to Eros's temple first. It was important to appease their patron god first. Besides, Eros's temple was close by and easier to get to than the others. The temple itself was beautiful, carved of marble and decorated with various blooming flowers and art of the young god in the structure itself. It was wide open at the entrance, where most offerings were left. Only those summoned could enter the temple itself.

Off to the side, Ichigo realized Shiro didn't draw any closer. "Are you just going to stand there?"

"I don't have any offerings with me. It would be wrong to use yours."

Though he was wary, Ichigo could understand where he was coming from. Nodding, he turned back to the temple and laid out the things he brought for his patron god. Bottles of his most precious wine found at home, ripe fruits picked specifically for this day, a few of the brightest and prettiest flowers, and some jewelry he took from some of the soldiers on their most recent fight. Bowing down before the temple, Ichigo thanked him graciously for the strength he provided to win the battle and thanked him for the protection of his home. Once he was done, he got up. Returning to where Shiro was, they headed off to Aphrodite's temple.

During the walk, Ichigo tried once more to get more information out of Shiro. At this point, all he knows is his name. No family, no town, no title … Nothing.

"Who is your patron god?"

At the sudden question, Shiro raised an eyebrow and closed his eyes to think. He doubted he could answer any of the questions easily. He kind of felt bad.

"I'm not particularly interested in that stuff."

Ichigo sighed at the answer. Another one of his vague answers. Another question unanswered.

"You certainly weren't interested in giving a prayer to Eros, so I'd imagine."

They fell silent after that. Ichigo didn't think he was going to get any answers anyway. Seeing Ichigo's disappointment, Shiro tried thinking of things he could tell to appease the other's curiosity. There wasn't a lot though.

"I'm sure you've noticed by now, nevertheless, I am from a high position of power. I'm educated and I've studied many things in my lifetime. I … Let's just say that I haven't exactly been a model citizen in the place I'm from."

Ichigo blinked in shock at Shiro from the information he just gave. Even though that was what he wanted, he couldn't help a laugh.

"You know, I always thought answers cleared things up, but now I just have more questions. You're really bad at this, Shiro."

"Well, excuse me then. I just won't say give you any more information." Petulantly, Shiro looked off to the side with a huff. Jokingly, Ichigo hit his arm with a grin.

"Oh c'mon, I didn't mean that."

As they kept on walking, they drew closer to Aphrodite's temple. However, the closer they got, the more anxious and tense Shiro became, which Ichigo began to notice. Especially when he slowed down and stopped.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo was worried. He'd never seen somebody so reluctant to get close to a god's temple, except for people who committed deeds against them. Shiro didn't seem like that. "I think it'd be worse to avoid the temple. The gods may think you're not being appreciative enough."

"I think I'm fine here. Trust me."

"No god is going to hurt you in their own temple," Ichigo said, trying to convince Shiro to come with him. He didn't feel right leaving him on his own after dragging him here in the first place. Besides, if a god got angry for not praying to them and giving a libation, Ichigo certainly didn't want the blame on him, especially if it was Aphrodite, a god close to Thespiae. "Do it for me at least."

Taking a deep breath, Shiro continued standing in the same place, unmoving. He did not want to. At all. Since when did he care for a mortal's wellbeing? However, after everything Ichigo did for him …

"Fine."

"Thank you," Ichigo let out a large exhalation in relief. He took the offering's from Shiro's hand and went up to the temple with him. Like he did at Eros's temple, he laid out the offering for the goddess of love. Emeralds and other precious stones, jewelry, and more ripe fruits. He kneeled down and began saying his prayer. He was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Pick up your head, soldier."

The voice had a lot of authority, so Ichigo couldn't help but listen. He was met with a woman dressed in a very exquisite and beautiful robe. Though she said nothing else, Ichigo had a feeling she was important. He had a feeling it was a god. Briefly, he casted a quick glance over to Shiro, who seemed just as shocked as he was. Was it fear he saw in him?

"Do not worry, I am not here to punish you. In fact, you are one of my favorites, so there would be no reason to worry right now."

Ichigo mumbled a thanks, unable to muster up any strength to say anything else. What was he supposed to do in front of a god? He couldn't tell which one though. Could it be Aphrodite herself?

"I only come to give you a warning. About your new friend." The goddess motioned over to Shiro. He was afraid to ask why he should be wary about him.

"Listen to me, young mortal," she began, "He is not safe to be around and he certainly does not deserve your hospitality. If you continue to hang around him, there will be consequences that you will have to bear in the future. Even if you are one of my favorites, I cannot help you when that time comes."

Ichigo couldn't believe her words at first. He didn't peg Shiro as the type of person to be a figure against the gods themselves, yet it is true that he's only known him for two days. They were practically strangers.

"I will heed your warning, goddess." He had no other choice to, after all. She smiled and then directed her attention at Shiro, who couldn't help curling his lip in disgust at. Ichigo was there as spectator between them and his head was spinning with everything that was going on.

"This isn't any of your business." Shiro spoke directly at the goddess without a shred of remorse. So directly that Ichigo immediately panicked. What the hell was he doing? He was only making this worse for himself.

"It became my business once you entered Thespiae, a city that is close to my heart and my child's heart. Even if we gods may withhold our punishment, we never forget."

"I'm well aware. Do not remind me of things I already know."

"Perhaps your new friend would like to know that the longer you stay in Thespiae, the closer it will get to destruction."

It took everything in Ichigo to not speak up during this. The destruction of his home? His family?

"I will take my leave then. Kind-hearted Ichigo, I hope you will remember this conversation. Your friend is dangerous, remember." Then, she walked off and disappeared off in the horizon. Releasing a shaky breath, Ichigo got up and looked over at Shiro. His heart was pounding. He thought he would collapse right there.

"What did you do to the gods to earn their hatred?"

"I can't explain that, Ichigo."

"My home was threatened. Don't give me that now."

"I could leave if you want."

At the offer, Ichigo went into silence. How could he, in good conscience, kick out someone from his own home and city-state when he knew there was nothing for him out there? What if he angered another god in the process? God, he hated this predicament. And he hated not knowing the answers. Biting his lip, he shook his head, knowing this was probably a terrible decision.

"Even if you are a walking bad omen, I would not kick you out. And I ask that you stay here. If you're so hated, you'll only bring destruction to another city. Thespiae is well acquainted with threats of annihilation, so we will deal with it. I can warn my family and others much easier here."

Shiro marveled at Ichigo's bravery for a second. How has he not heard of him before this? Willing to sacrifice himself in order to save another person? Ichigo didn't imagine he can deal with any more stress.

"Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

His body felt like nothing. He was floating amidst a void of emptiness and no matter how hard he searched, there was only blackness. From the nothingness, silhouettes began to rise and take form, each one surrounded by a dim light. Looking warily among them, he counted eleven. At first, they were just standing there, but he watched silently as they dissipated into a fog around him. Anxiety welled up in his chest as he glanced around, squinting and trying to make out anything through the thick fog.

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the void, making him turn his head left and right to locate it, however, it came from everywhere at once. Out of instinct, he entered into his own fighting pose, expecting something to attack him. Yet there was nothing. Biting his lip, he clenched his fist, his body wanting to move and run.

Then it all stopped. He took a deep breath to try and relax; however, his body wouldn't listen. There was a faraway sound of metal once again. Everything went into silence again. The fog still obscured his vision, so he didn't see the spear fly toward him until it was too late. By the time he did, all he could do was bring up his arms in defense. The surroundings all turned a shade of blood-red as he prepared for the impact.

Ichigo shot up from bed, sweat running down his forehead, panting as he tried to get air into his lungs. Bringing a hand to his face, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm down. His dream was still vivid in his mind, like all the others.

Still, this one felt different. Ichigo forced himself to lie back down on his bed, lifting up his arms and inspecting them to see if there was any evidence of the spear hitting him. Out of all the nightmares he's had, none of them were so void of surroundings. They always took him someplace he was familiar with. Closing his eyes, he turned to his sides, wanting to forget, although he knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep this night.

* * *

When morning arrived, Ichigo had to force himself to get out of his room. His eyes hurt and they were tempting him to rest, however, every time he did, flashes of the dream kept popping up. It disturbed him. He just hoped that eating will help restore some energy for the day. As he made his way groggily over to the courtyard where the dining room was connected, his two younger sisters were already carrying plates of bread and bowls of water and wine. Despite his exhaustion, he smiled and offered his help. His two sisters looked at each other before declining.

"That's alright, we can handle it. You should go entertain the guest with our father," Karin, one of the sisters, said, silently shooing her brother away. Yuzu, the other, agreed. For a second, Ichigo didn't understand what they meant by 'guest' before remembering that Shiro stayed the night. Maybe he should have tried sleeping more after all … Praying that Shiro didn't mess up his first impressions to his father, Lykos, he entered the dining room to see the two of them seated across each other. Both of their eyes turned to him. With a large grin, Lykos stood up and ushered him over, silently demanding he sit next to him.

"You two have met already, but let me formally introduce my son," he started, not paying attention to Ichigo's glare, "This is Ichigo, defender and champion of Thespiae, Third lieutenant of the army, and Boar Slayer." As he talked, he puffed up his chest in pride, hoping to impress Shiro with his son's accomplishments. After all, to him, he looked like a noble with his purple accents on his toga and this was as good as a chance as ever to make Ichigo look good.

Understanding what he was trying to do, Ichigo had to resist the urge to blush and turn away. This was so embarrassing. Even after one day, he didn't want to try worming his way into Shiro's upper class family like this, especially because he knew nothing of Shiro, let alone his unmarried female relatives. Yet he could not rebel against the whims of his father so easily, so he lifted his head toward Shiro and declared that it was nice to meet him with the steadiest voice he could muster. While doing so, he caught the amusement flickering in the other's eyes.

Before their conversation continued any further, Karin and Yuzu entered with the bowls of wine, water and bread. Ichigo noted that they used the more decorative bowls for the occasion causing him to bite back a sigh. All of this for one man he invited over? They placed down the bowls in front of the men and saw themselves out.

"Please, help yourself." Lykos offered Shiro the bowl of bread first out of courtesy. He mumbled thanks before taking a piece and dipping it in the water followed by the wine. After doing so, the other two joined in. At first, Ichigo didn't respond since he almost fell asleep in the chair, causing Lykos to ask if he had a good rest after the battle.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just … got home rather late is all," Ichigo said, waving off his father. There was no need to plague him with the dream. It was a simple nightmare. That's all.

Feeling satisfied enough with the answer, Lykos switched to the real topic he wanted to talk about.

"You called yourself Shiro yes? What do you normally do and do you have any notable relatives?"

The question threw Shiro for a loop. Curling his lip, he cast a look over to Ichigo, who caught his conflict. He minutely shook his head, unable to offer assistance. There was a part of him that didn't want to help if it meant he was going to talk. Taking a deep breath, Shiro returned to meet Lykos's gaze.

"I, uh, I work as a philosopher and historian. Perhaps not quite as rewarding as the jobs my other siblings hold right now, but it allows me to travel around." Shiro had to pause. He really had to make the next part believable. Notable relatives, notable relatives … Of course, he had plenty of those, although they were a bit too notable to the Greeks. Panic rose in his throat as he scavenged his mind for ideas to get out of this. He'll have to make it up on the go.

"Well, there's … uh … Alala and … Alexia. They're a bit more assertive than what you're probably used to and very skillful at the things they do. Not quite as nice as my other relative, Korre, though. She's had a lot of practice," Shiro explained, having no problems at all with the descriptions. There was a lot of say about each of them. Lykos seemed pleased and finally asked if any of them were unmarried.

Instead of an immediate response, Shiro laughed softly under his breath. He took a deep breath to remain in control in case he seemed unreasonably spiteful toward his family, which wasn't entirely wrong. "Ah, both Alala and Alexia are unmarried." Shiro saw him grow even more excited at the prospect, knowing that it wasn't possible for Ichigo to marry any of them. "There's a bit of an issue."

"You see, they're both … quite against marrying right now. In fact, I'd say that they're planning on staying that way for awhile," Shiro mused, catching Ichigo's relief in the way his shoulders sagged, "I think Alexia is going through one of her …. phases too. Doesn't seem to be interested in the likes of men."

With that information processing, Lykos sat back in his chair, contemplating. After awhile, he reached a conclusion and grinned, causing Shiro to raise his eyebrows at him. Was he really not deterred?

"Once they meet my son I'm sure they'll change their minds! He's extremely accomplished and has the physical physique to boot with his time in the army."

Ichigo reached for another piece of bread instead of responding.

Shiro smiled at that confidence. "Possibly. I'm sure one of them would be quite fond of him. They live far away from here, so I'm not sure when they'd ever visit, though I'll let them know when I return."

"When do you plan on leaving?"

"I was planning on leaving today."

Ichigo tuned in on the conversation at this point. Was he really just planning on going, just like that? Lykos seemed to share his viewpoint.

"But you only arrived! I'm sure we can send a messenger to tell your family about an extended stay."

Shiro had to resist retaliating against the implied order. He wasn't a god, he wasn't a god … Shaking his head, he said that he was never planning on staying for long. Lykos opened his mouth again to speak, but Ichigo suddenly entered the conversation.

"If you're a historian, then I can show you around the city. There are tons of places you can see and events to unravel with all our battles and hardships. It'll make for a good tale to bring back when you go back home," Ichigo practically rambled. For what reason, he didn't know. The thought of Shiro leaving him made him anxious, causing his heart to hurt and for a pit to settle in his stomach. Surprised eyes met with his own eyes' shock and desperation.

Shiro cursed under his breath, having no way out of this now. Ichigo just had to bring in his "occupation" into all of this, huh?

"I … suppose I can stay just to write it all down." Shiro surrendered. It'll just be one day longer, that's all. It shouldn't take long to tour the city. Not with it in ruins in several places.

"Well, that's that. I'm glad you could stay with us in our home. You'll find that it's very comfortable, even for us four." Lykos grabbed the pile of smaller bowls that were set off the side and dipped them into the basin of wine. "A toast to our wonderful guest, then." He handed off two of the bowls to Ichigo and Shiro respectively. They both raised their bowls toward Shiro who answered with the same motion back. Then, they all drank the wine together.

* * *

After Lykos announced that he had to fix up the barracks and organize everything after the latest battle, Shiro excused himself back to the guest room. He simply said he had to get ready for the tour. While no one was looking, he created a small notebook for himself to write things down in to keep up the farce.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Ichigo's hair, which made him turn his head to the door. He narrowed his eyes before setting the notebook down and crossing his arms, wondering what he wanted.

"Uh, forgive me for bothering you, but … I just wanted to know when you, uh, wanted to head out for a look around the city."

"You better explain yourself."

Ichigo flinched away from the harsh tone before speaking again. "I just wanted you to take a closer lo –"

"Let me make this clear, Ichigo. You can't stop me from leaving this city no matter how much damage you think I'm going to cause out there. And you certainly don't try to make me do things I don't want."

"That's not – Look, I, god … I don't know what came over me. Something about you leaving made me open my mouth and everything came flooding out. I didn't – I don't want to insult you. I promise I'll make it quick, okay?"

Shiro huffed and turned away, opening his notebook and scribbling the name of the city-state up at the top. "Come back in a few hours then. When I've calmed down."

Ichigo bowed his head respectfully at him before leaving, feeling terrible for what he did. Even after taking him to see some temples and practically dragging him to his home, he still managed to screw up and force him to do something selfish. Groaning, he headed to the open courtyard, hoping that the fresh air will get that whole situation out of his system. One tour. That's it. Then he'll finally let Shiro do what he wanted to do.

Aphrodite's words were still ringing in his head though. He couldn't deny that there was a conflict raging within him between the promise of destruction and everything he learned about hospitality. Would he really attempt to defy a god in the name of keeping his values? Taking a deep breath, he decided to try and take his mind off things. Thankfully, his sisters were passing through the courtyard as he decided this.

"Do you two need help with anything?"

Both Karin and Yuzu turned their head toward him, their faces plastered with a look of confusion. They both said they have things taken care of and were almost done clearing out the dining room.

"Besides, aren't you supposed to be entertaining the guest while father is away?" Yuzu asked. At the question, Ichigo shifted nervously, knowing it's supposed to be his duty to do so. It reflected poorly on him that he was just sitting around idly.

"He's, uh … He's kind of tired right now. He's resting in the guest room. "

Karin and Yuzu exchanged looks before shrugging.

"I guess you can help me find some ingredients and foods in the agora," Karin mused, thinking about the list of items she needed to buy. "Father wants a more extravagant meal for dinner today before the guest leaves for the day, so he left us with the plans. You know him. Always wanting to impress." Karin waved her hand carelessly off to the side as she spoke about Lykos.

Ichigo let out a snort at the comment, agreeing with Karin. "Yeah, nothing changes with him. But I'd love to gather things with you. "

"Less work for me, thanks, Ichi." Karin gave him a thumbs up before taking out a pouch with several thespian coins, "Here, you can handle finding a wine and some cuts of meat. I'll handle the rest. Maybe some new bowls …" Karin placed a hand on her chin before grinning at her brother.

"So … how rich is he?"

Instead of responding, Ichigo only gave his sister a glare as he took the money. It felt heavy in his palm, giving him an idea of the extravagant meal they'll be having. Sighing, he brushed off any dirt that could have gotten on his toga, promising that he'll be back before the next meal.

When he arrived at the city-state's agora, it was already packed with tons of people, many of them slaves doing their daily errands. Taking a deep breath, he threaded through the crowds, making his way to the area most wine merchants and food merchants gathered. He hadn't been to that area in awhile so he had lost that familiarity, but it was better than staying inside. While the job itself was simple, Ichigo spent quite a bit attempting to barter with the merchants and the prices. He managed to grab, in his opinion, a more refined and expensive wine, a portion of goat, and two small pastries for his sisters.

Ignoring all the men who wanted him to stay to have a talk about his last few battles, Ichigo walked home. He'd already been out for far too long, judging by the sun high up in the sky. If he had to guess, it's already been over half a day. By the time he returned home, Karin and Yuzu were already preparing small plates of bread and cheese.

"Sorry for taking so long. You know how busy it gets at this time, especially with everyone trying to get as much food as possible to survive."

"We still have enough time to cook it, it's fine," Yuzu took the wine and the meat and inspected them, "These are great, so all those hours weren't worth nothing."

"Oh, before I forget …" Ichigo handed his sisters the two pastries he got for them. He smiled when they practically lit up at the sight of it and ruffled their hair affectionately, "I'll leave the coins here. Enjoy that alright? And since I'm grabbing Shiro, I'll bring the plate to him. You two have been working too hard ever since our slaves were sent to help rebuild."

It was clear that his sisters weren't keen on the idea, but Ichigo simply grabbed the two plates, throwing them a grin. "That's an order from your older brother." Without even waiting for a response, Ichigo grabbed the two plates and headed off into the guest room. Unlike before, the door was open. Peering in, Ichigo watched as Shiro attempted to get all his hair into a ponytail. The argument from earlier still weighed heavily on his mind, so for a second, he just stood there. Shiro reached over to grab another hair tie to have the ponytail more secure, who then saw Ichigo at the corner of his eye. Stopping his motion, they stared in silence.

Ichigo cleared his throat, casting his gaze on the ground and holding out the plate he had in his hand. "I, uh, I brought you some food. We're going to head out after you finish up."

"Alright, let me just finish this real quick," Shiro said, going back to tying the final ribbon. To test out its hold, he pulled on it and the ponytail, "There."

He went over and took the plate from Ichigo's hand, murmuring a thanks. Despite what the traditions called for, the two of them ate in silence at the courtyard. Ichigo prayed that it wasn't going to be like this during their tour, even though he knew he'd fill up the silence with the information. Still, it was nice to have a conversation once in a while during it. It didn't seem like it'd end up that way though.

Once they finished up their small lunch, they headed out of the house. Ichigo cursed himself for not thinking of any plan before this. What kinds of thing would interest Shiro? He took a look at him as if that would provide him the answer. Sighing when that didn't help him, not that he was expecting anything, he considered the options. There was the agora and the acropolis … Ichigo had a feeling Shiro had no interest in that stuff.

"Is there … really no place you wanted to visit?" His voice came out more hesitant and soft than we would have liked.

"Not particularly. Just take me wherever you want, I won't complain." Shiro brushed him off coldly, clearly wanting to get it over with. Ichigo bit his lip and nodded. The acropolis would have to do then. They both made their way over to the acropolis, which overlooked the city-state. In the distance, it was easy to make out the crumbling wall and the mass of people surrounding it.

"You've already seen the wall. All of our slaves are sent over there to help rebuild it after the Thebans came and attacked," Ichigo explained, taking another look at him.

"Yeah. Your city really likes to get attacked."

"It supposedly cooled down … Our city doesn't really have much left to pillage."

After that small conversation, they entered into silence. Ichigo tried to look around and pinpoint other interesting things to talk about it, but ended up with nothing. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of Shiro's personality and interests. Suddenly, he jumped. He had an idea. Ichigo gently grabbed Shiro's wrist, giving him a large grin.

"When we first met, you said you wanted a story, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did …?" Shiro tilted his head quizzically at the young man, wondering where it was leading, "You just came back from a battle at the time, so it would make sense."

"Come on then. I'll give you the story you wanted." Ichigo led him down the path out of the acropolis and to the barracks. If Shiro was so interested in the art, then it would make sense to have a look at it. Only his father should be around at this time since the other soldiers were back with their family after the grueling battle. Thankfully, that was true. Even his father was nowhere in sight when they had arrived.

There were still broken weapons and shields left scattered on the ground and the walls were barely standing, similar to the way the outer wall was looking. Shiro let out an intrigued hum, making Ichigo feel better about the whole thing. So he really was only interested in these sorts of things.

As they walked through the open area, Shiro looked this way and that, shortly inspecting each weapon.

"You have … interesting weapons," Shiro commented, chuckling to himself. Unlike other war weapons he's seen from other armies, he could tell the material was wearing away from use, "No newer ones?"

"All got taken from us as spoils. I'm sure you know how that works."

"Your city-state really isn't one for battle, huh?" Shiro laughed, picking up one of the spears and shields to inspect them. It wasn't particularly a bad weapon, considering the cheaper and weaker materials made to build it. Just lackluster. He caught Ichigo's wary eye before laughing again, assuring him he knew how to handle it. "I'm … amazed you actually won using these."

"Trust me, we are too," Ichigo huffed, happy that they could actually talk a little more freely now. "Thankfully, the enemy had some pretty nice weapons, not that we're going to use them. Hopefully sacrificing them to Ares will grace us with some better luck in upcoming battles."

At his god name, Shiro let out a snort. It was strange hearing it and not responding, treating it like the name of some stranger.

"Don't tell me the war god himself hates you too." Ichigo felt a headache coming on.

"Oh, don't you worry. I haven't done enough to anger him. It's more like the whole society hates his guts. Why would you sacrifice to him?" Bitterness made its way into his voice as he remembered every abuse and every empty altar. "Why not the exalted Athena? Even your patron goddess has her own area of war under her name."

"I don't need Athena's wisdom or strategy and I don't need Aphrodite's passion or fortitude when I walk into battle. I need Ares' strength and determination and resolve. I'm not that great with Athena's aspect, and I have plenty of Aphrodite's on my own. I have strength and resolve by myself too, but I can always stand to be stronger. That's what wins a war in the end. And without it … I don't think I could continue battling like this. Losing battles and people left and right …" Ichigo trailed off, realizing he ranted. He was about to apologize before noticing the look on Shiro's face.

His eyes were blown wide and his mouth hung half open. He was still in the middle of the processing what he had just said and a part of him felt glad, felt pride. Receiving such a compliment, though it wasn't exactly directly his, Shiro let out a light laugh, covering his face with his hand. Even he couldn't help the gloating attitude he took on in that instance against the other gods.

"Are you okay?"

"Hmm …" Shiro uncovered his face, showing off a wide grin, "I'm fine. I was right back then. You really are interesting. I'm sure Ares would like to hear that from you."

"You sound like you knew him personally," Ichigo couldn't help a smile at how uplifted Shiro's mood became, "If you did, maybe I'd be nicer to you," he joked.

"I'll keep that in mind when I next send him a message."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Here I think … I think I wanna show you something else. Come on, I don't want my father to see us here anyway." Ichigo left the barracks and led him toward the back of it where there was a small shed like building with various items scattered inside of it. At a first glance, it would look like a simple storage area, but Ichigo knew better.

He went over and almost lovingly ran his fingers over several of the objects. Coming here hurt. Shiro didn't dare speak while he was doing so, despite his curiosity.

"This is an altar of sorts. For those lost in battle. Each object is something meaningful to them or at least something they loved. It's an attempt to keep track of everything we keep losing in such a short time," Ichigo explained, picking up an arrow painted white and blue. "He was an archer. One of the best I knew. He was always going on and on about his pride as an archer, as the happiness he felt whenever he let one of these fly. A little cold at times, but he was nothing short of good company." Ichigo closed his eyes as he reminisced about the past and all of his friends.

"You really remember every person behind each of these objects?"

"Fighting together is a lot harder than it seems, you know. We were all family. Even now, I don't want anything to happen to my battalion. I could never forget, Shiro," Ichigo muttered.

"I know fighting together is hard. I know a certain group that can never do such a thing. Full of strong warriors, but that's all," Shiro couldn't recall one time the gods had worked together seamlessly. He couldn't even recall the last time he considered them family. He had fun in war simply because it provided a distracted from them. Ichigo was his exact opposite. "Hey, Ichigo?"

"Hm?"

"I'm …" Shiro took a deep breath, "sorry. I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I don't think you meant to insult me or keep me here because of what, uh, Aphrodite said. It was unreasonable of me."

Ichigo couldn't help a blush at the apology. "Oh, no, you're fine. I was a little too forward, I'll admit. Anyway, is there any place you'd like to see before you leave?"

"May I?" Shiro tilted his head over at the items displayed. Ichigo nodded, not sure what he wanted to do. Once he had permission, he reached out and took a random item out, holding it front of Ichigo to take. He pulled out a golden, foreign coin. "Tell me about him."

Ichigo smiled, taking it from Shiro. "Gladly."

* * *

They both returned from the tour right when the sun met the horizon's edge, signaling the start of dinner. Ichigo was dreading the feast they were planning on having, knowing for a fact his father would be showing off everything he had to offer.

"Promise me you won't act impressed."

"It's going to take a lot more than that to do it. I wouldn't worry. Besides," Shiro shrugged, remembering why Ichigo was so worried in the first place, "I wasn't lying when I said that none of my relatives would marry you. One swore to be a maiden forever and the other hates men. And no offense, but you aren't good enough to sway their opinions."

"... See now you're making me want to marry them just to spite you."

"And I'd be extremely entertained if you tried."

As they entered the house, Lykos greeted the two of them and led them to the dining room. Set on the center of the table were three large dishes and a bowls with specific food and appetizers. The main dish was a slow-cooked goat, practically showered in several spices. The other plates contained varieties of breads and cheeses and cooked vegetables, making it quite a feast. Karin and Yuzu stood on the sidelines, holding bowl of a wine and water mix. Shiro, Ichigo, and Lykos remained standing. As head of the household, Lykos grabbed the shallow bowl saved for libations and signaled for the two to begin pouring. Careful to spill any of the diluted wine, they approached slowly and began pouring until the libation bowl, the phiale, was full. He moved over to the window and poured out the wine onto the ground, making his first libation to Zeus and the other Olympian gods. He did this twice more, making it to heroes and then to Zeus alone. Only after all of that did all the males sit down.

The remaining wine was poured into three bowls in front of them and Karin and Yuzu left shortly after that. While reaching for food, Shiro thanked the family for providing him with such a nice dinner.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but I have nothing to give in return at the moment. I hope you will forgive me for that," Shiro said, knowing what Lykos wanted out of him. "But I'll make sure to leave a good word for you in my next message to them. In my next prayer to the gods, I'll wish you the best."

The night passed with casual conversation and once they were all done, Karin and Yuzu cleaned up, grabbing their share of the food.

"It's a shame to see you go. I'd love for you to stay as long as you can, however, I cannot stop you if you're on business," Lykos politely stated, extending his hand for a proper handshake. Out of respect, the god took it, exchanging another thank you. "My son will see you out. My household is open to you if you ever decide to return to Thespiae."

"I will keep that in mind." Shiro bowed, still feeling weird about it all. He's very aware of the politeness surrounding the Greeks, but he's never done it before. At least it was easy to copy because he knew so much.

Ichigo and Shiro reached the double doors, leading to the outside. After pushing them open, Ichigo extended his own hand out to Shiro's as his final goodbye.

"It was nice meeting and talking with you … Even if it was a little rough near the end. I enjoyed your company."

"Would you happen to know any good place to stay? A private house to stay in?"

He blinked. "Wait does this mean …?"

"I can tell you don't want to deal with your father's talk about marriage, so I'll stay elsewhere."

"You're staying around?"

Shiro grinned and nodded. "Why not? You're the only person I know outside of my home. I'd even call you a friend. So, how about it? Want to show me a place to stay?"

Ichigo mirrored the grin, glad that he'd continue to have his company. "Yeah, c'mon. I think there's a good place just a few minutes away."


End file.
